#TBT: Memories of Bali

#TBT: Memories of Bali

It has been three years since we visited the island of Bali and the thought of going back hasn’t left our minds ever since. It was Chat and I’s second time to go on an out of the country trip together and it was still a learning experience for us then. Three years later, and the memories made (despite empty pockets and withered bank accounts) will never be forgotten.

We still dream of Bali and our eyes lit up every time we reminisce or share stories of our vacation with our friends. Maybe in a year or two we would be able to fulfill our wish of going back and exploring more. For now, sharing photos below of our favorite memories made in Bali.

Where to stay in Bali – UluwatuWe availed of the free bicycle rentals from our hotel to explore the vicinity and chanced upon this beach called Dreamland. With the water so blue and waves so crazy, it was the perfect introduction to our Balinese escape.Our first “Balinese” meal in Jimbaran Bay. There are a lot of restaurants lining Jimbaran Bay offering mostly yummy seafood set meals. It was approximately an hour from the hotel so we availed of the roundtrip transpo offer from the hotel’s reception thereby, meeting our resident Balinese driver, Wayan 😀 (He took us from point A to B during our whole stay in Bali)From Uluwatu, we hopped on to our next destination, Seminyak. We stayed in Kamar Kamar – a cozy boutique hotel tucked away from the bustling vibe of Seminyak.Upon arriving Seminyak, we took a cab to catch the sunset over the famous Tanah Lot.

We rented a motorcycle to go around Seminyak and navigated our way to the popular surf town of Canggu to catch some waves 😀We were supposed to go to Komodo National Park during our trip but we realized we didn’t have enough time and so we ditched the idea at the last minute and booked a 2-night stay at the Kajane Mua in Monkey Forest Road, Ubud instead. Bali is clearly winning in the hotel department 🙂We did a lot of activities in Ubud and one of them was watching the traditional Kecak Dance – a form of Balinese dance that involves a circle of men chanting and a drama playing in the middle that depicts a battle from the Ramayana. (source)We also signed up for Ayung River white water rafting through Sobek. Though the rapids were not as strong when we went, we still had a hell lot of fun. Photo courtesy of Sobek.

From the sign up area, we went down a steep flight of stairs to the river’s starting point. We paddled through some white water rapids, cruised along the calmer part of the river, stopped by to grab some beer and chat with our new found friends, paddled again, jumped into the river and swam our way to the sumptuous lunch waiting for us at the end point and burned the calories by climbing a steep flight again to end the activity. We truly had an amazing fun and we’ll definitely do it again if given the chance 😀 Photo courtesy of Sobek.

Photo courtesy of Sobek

For fear of being attacked by the macaques, we skipped going inside the Sacred Monkey Forest, but it doesn’t mean we didn’t have a moment with them. While walking around outside the forest, a bell rang from one of the hotels nearby and the monkeys came running across the street to the roof of that hotel. It was such an entertaining sight to watch.Tried one of Ibu Oka’s yummy (and famous -thanks to Anthony Bourdain!) Babi Guling dishes 🙂Ubud is our favorite stop in our Bali escape and we cannot wait to go back 🙂Our last stop in our Bali escape – the crowded and busy streets of Kuta; and no Kuta visit would be complete without surfing its beginner-friendly waves. Though there were a lot of people in the line up, we still had our fair share of rides.There was no better way to end our wonderful vacation than a beautiful and peaceful sunset over the bustling beach of Kuta.

“And like tea dissolving in hot water, the sun dissolved in the sky.. creating a velvet horizon, announcing for the stars’ night dance with the moon, the awaited joy for the wounded souls.” From Bali – the Rebirth